Fishing Regulations

Fish for the future – take only what you need. Observe possession limits. Quickly return undersize and unwanted fish to the water. Discard all rubbish and fishing line in bins when ashore.

Bag and Possession Limits

Special bag and possession limits are in place to manage Shark Bay fish stocks. For example, in the inner gulfs it is illegal to fillet fish at sea; only whole fish can be brought ashore. Visit the Department of Fisheries for details.

Shark Bay Marine Park Zones

Shark Bay Marine Park protects Shark Bay’s rich marine life while allowing public enjoyment of the region. The regulations in the marine park zoning system manage local marine ecosystems to protect fish stocks, dugong habitat, seagrass meadows and stromatolites. See the Shark Bay Marine Reserves brochure for details.

Fisheries Zones & Pink Snapper Regulations

Over and above the marine park zoning system there are special zones in place to better manage the local pink snapper population. Pink snapper stocks in the inner gulfs of Shark Bay are vulnerable to overfishing and were badly depleted at one stage. Visit the Department of Fisheries for details.

Fishing Regulations

About Shark Bay

The shoreline of Shark Bay has a ‘W’ shape formed by the Edel Land peninsula and Dirk Hartog Island to the west, Peron Peninsula in the centre, and the eastern coastal strip. Edel Land is typified by rocky limestone and long, white sand dunes.